oldschool wrote:How about best apartments or townhomes for 'quiet'? I don't want a bunch of youngsters making a lot of noise in the middle of the night. I'd have to break out my broom and bang on the ceiling.

Depends on your budget. There are a lot of townhomes in the SMU UP/HP area that are a pricey, but it keeps the riff raff out, haha.

What she said. I mean, you can find some nice townhouses that are not studenty at all, but be prepared to spend $1500, $1600 or more a month.

I'd rather not spend more than $1,000 per month. Isn't there a place where most law students live? I figure if I'm surrounded by law students, it will be quiet.

A lot of law students go hard. I mean, really. We is party peoplez too.

Hahaha. A lot of law students live in the Village. I wouldn't live there. There are a lot of smaller condos and apartments around SMU in small buildings or complexes that are generally pretty quiet. If you're looking to spend under $1000, live in one of the nicer buildings in the Village or a smaller place around Uniersity Park. Uptown you won't get much for that money.

Ok thank you guys for the help. Is there a good resource online (like through the law school) to see current places where law students live. Every time I google real estate in the area it sends me on a wide search that never really works out.

rolltide90 wrote:Ok thank you guys for the help. Is there a good resource online (like through the law school) to see current places where law students live. Every time I google real estate in the area it sends me on a wide search that never really works out.

No, not especially. In your admit package the admissions office normally includes a four page listing of common law tudent living choices, with the complexes in the village and other commonly-chosen complexes. However, there are a couple of good real estate locator services in the area (free for the renter, normally), that I could suggest, or if you have any particular questions or areas you want to live I can make suggestions there, too (seriously, moving three people from the midwest to Dallas in the next month...I've been doing a lot of apartment scouting recently).

rolltide90 wrote:Ok thank you guys for the help. Is there a good resource online (like through the law school) to see current places where law students live. Every time I google real estate in the area it sends me on a wide search that never really works out.

No, not especially. In your admit package the admissions office normally includes a four page listing of common law tudent living choices, with the complexes in the village and other commonly-chosen complexes. However, there are a couple of good real estate locator services in the area (free for the renter, normally), that I could suggest, or if you have any particular questions or areas you want to live I can make suggestions there, too (seriously, moving three people from the midwest to Dallas in the next month...I've been doing a lot of apartment scouting recently).

Send me a PM and we'll talk.

There is a PDF the school of business sends their admitted students with 40 or so apartments. PM me and I can send it to you.

rolltide90 wrote:Ok thank you guys for the help. Is there a good resource online (like through the law school) to see current places where law students live. Every time I google real estate in the area it sends me on a wide search that never really works out.

So I have been looking a lot for apartment complexes too, and have gotten a lot of advice from locators, but I really want some personal opinions from people who are familiar with the Dallas area. I am looking for a one bedroom with a max rent of 700. I want the area to be SAFE because I love being able to run outside and take my dog out whenever I want. I am willing to make a 15 minute commute if that's what it takes. I looked at Cambridge Court apartments like suggested earlier, and I will probably look at those. Any other suggestions from people familiar with the area? I am from Nebraska so I am clueless.

rolltide90 wrote:Ok thank you guys for the help. Is there a good resource online (like through the law school) to see current places where law students live. Every time I google real estate in the area it sends me on a wide search that never really works out.

No, not especially. In your admit package the admissions office normally includes a four page listing of common law tudent living choices, with the complexes in the village and other commonly-chosen complexes. However, there are a couple of good real estate locator services in the area (free for the renter, normally), that I could suggest, or if you have any particular questions or areas you want to live I can make suggestions there, too (seriously, moving three people from the midwest to Dallas in the next month...I've been doing a lot of apartment scouting recently).

Send me a PM and we'll talk.

There is a PDF the school of business sends their admitted students with 40 or so apartments. PM me and I can send it to you.

Thanks, I did get that in the mail its just kind of hard to see what are the best apartments and the best locations from that sheet, but I will check out that website. Thanks for the help

So I have been looking a lot for apartment complexes too, and have gotten a lot of advice from locators, but I really want some personal opinions from people who are familiar with the Dallas area. I am looking for a one bedroom with a max rent of 700. I want the area to be SAFE because I love being able to run outside and take my dog out whenever I want. I am willing to make a 15 minute commute if that's what it takes. I looked at Cambridge Court apartments like suggested earlier, and I will probably look at those. Any other suggestions from people familiar with the area? I am from Nebraska so I am clueless.

Under $1,000 and 5 minutes from SMU = The Village Apts. and possibly some condos in the University Blvd. corridor just East of 75. Most likely 1 bedroom.

Around $1,500 and 5 minutes from SMU = The Village Apts., condos in the University Blvd. corridor, and POSSIBLY Uptown/Oaklawn just East of 75. Probably 2 bedroom.

Over $1,500 and 5-10 minutes from SMU = Still The Village Apts., condos in University Blvd. corridor, and POSSIBLY West Village or Uptown/Oaklawn. 2 bedroom.

I live in Lakewood and it can sometimes take me 20 minutes to get to SMU on Mockingbird...so there's that.

I'd rather not spend more than $1,000 per month. Isn't there a place where most law students live? I figure if I'm surrounded by law students, it will be quiet.

A lot of law students go hard. I mean, really. We is party peoplez too.

Hahaha. A lot of law students live in the Village. I wouldn't live there. There are a lot of smaller condos and apartments around SMU in small buildings or complexes that are generally pretty quiet. If you're looking to spend under $1000, live in one of the nicer buildings in the Village or a smaller place around Uniersity Park. Uptown you won't get much for that money.

You crazy kids with your long hair and Rock and Roll music. What is this country coming to?

Seriously, I appreciate everyone's responses. I'm going to make a campus visit next month to take in a class. I'll take the opportunity to scout the apartment market. Do people generally sign 9 month leases or just suck it up and go for a full year?

oldschool wrote:You crazy kids with your long hair and Rock and Roll music. What is this country coming to?

Seriously, I appreciate everyone's responses. I'm going to make a campus visit next month to take in a class. I'll take the opportunity to scout the apartment market. Do people generally sign 9 month leases or just suck it up and go for a full year?

Everywhere I looked seemed to be 1 year. The apartments around campus only lease for year-long terms.

oldschool wrote:You crazy kids with your long hair and Rock and Roll music. What is this country coming to?

Seriously, I appreciate everyone's responses. I'm going to make a campus visit next month to take in a class. I'll take the opportunity to scout the apartment market. Do people generally sign 9 month leases or just suck it up and go for a full year?

Everywhere I looked seemed to be 1 year. The apartments around campus only lease for year-long terms.

Almost all apartments let you do 9 month leases. Condo and home rentals don't but apartments do.

iahurricane wrote:Almost all apartments let you do 9 month leases. Condo and home rentals don't but apartments do.

The "apartment buildings" within a walking distance of campus almost all require 1 year leases. The ones I live in and the ones on either side of the law garage and the ones on McFarlin that I looked into all do. It's because they know they can find students who will agree to a year, so they'd rather do that than a 9 month lease. They're also not commercially owned, so that might have something to do with it...

So I scouted the apartment scene and really like the look of The Village Apts. Rent seems decent and it's fairly accessible to campus.

Oddly enough, they have some 1 bed/bath/den units available for roughly the same as 1 bed/bath units? That works for me, as I'm PT, and will be working from home, so the den will make a nice office for me.

I want to shop around more just so I don't feel like I might have missed out on something, but this seems like too good a deal to pass up.

Stevoman wrote:I want to shop around more just so I don't feel like I might have missed out on something, but this seems like too good a deal to pass up.

Rent goes down in April/May/June, because so many people are leaving, and then goes back up around August, so if you can move here in April or May then I would def sign your lease now. The difference between the Village Apts and those smaller places around SMU is that the Village rent is variable on a day to day basis. The Apts that I looked at in April that were $700 were $950 when I called in late-July and August.

For FT students, with the exception of LWRA, you will be in Section 1 or 2 for 1L courses (courses in italics).

For PT students, you will be Section 3. As a 1E you will only have Civ. Pro., Torts, Contracts, and LWRA.

You will notice that LWRA has 12 sections, 1-4 meet early, 5-8 meet late. If you are in the early class first semester you will have the late class second semester, and vice versa. Same thing for PT students; sections 9-10 meet early, 11-12 meet late. You will be switched second semester.

I haven't seen any of those listings on McFarlin on CL. Just FYI. There are a few apartment locators that I've seen advertising those listings. Apartment Divas, or something like that?

I walk my dog on McFarlin pretty often. Once finals are done I'll take an hour and go write down all of the numbers of the signs I see out there and post them here if you guys want. But let me know if you want me to do that...I'm not going to go walking up and down the street looking like an idiot with a notepad if no one is interested...

April Ludgate wrote:Can anyone recommend an apartment locator close to SMU?

Your best bet is to get someone locally to look at the different listings for you -- a lot of them are privately owned, so they don't go on MLS or anything. Try Apartment Divas, or look at either Mustang Realty or Rogers Healy & Associates. Both of them have a TON of signs up on Daniel, Rosedale, and McFarlin.